Working with Intermittency: Increasing Renewables in Our Energy Mix Climate and Energy

The intermittency of many renewable energy resources may present major problems for our electric grid. This variability could prevent them from serving as baseload power providers, which contribute the necessary constant flow of energy into the electric system. Creative fixes for this challenge exist and may provide solutions for scaling up renewables in the future. For instance, wind and hydroelectric power can be paired to smooth the energy supply going into the grid, while smart grid technologies can be used to manage intermittent and distributed resources on the operator side. Other truly innovative solutions, including solar fuel production, are being explored. With continued research and experimentation, can renewables replace coal and nuclear power?

The first annual conference of the Yale Climate and Energy Institute convened leaders in science, policy, business, and international affairs to discuss the barriers that prevent clean energy from achieving full-scale deployment as well as solutions for overcoming those barriers.